Past Lives Budget

What is the budget of Past Lives?

"Past Lives," a drama released in 2023, was directed by Celine Song and stars Greta Lee, Teo Yoo. The production budget was $12,000,000, placing it in the low-budget range for drama productions of its era.

Key Budget Allocation Categories

While specific budget breakdowns are not publicly available, typical cost drivers for a drama production like this include:

• Above-the-Line Talent: Drama films live or die on the strength of their performances.
• Location Filming & Period Production Design: Authentic locations , whether contemporary or historical , require scouting, permits, travel, lodging, and often significant dressing to match the story's time period.
• Post-Production, Color Grading & Score: The editorial process for dramas is typically longer than genre films, with careful attention to pacing and tone.
• Production: In January 2020, it was announced Choi Woo-shik would star in the film, with Celine Song set to direct from a screenplay she wrote, and A24 set to produce and distribute alongside Killer Films and CJ ENM.

What were the major cost factors in Past Lives?

Several factors contributed to the overall production costs of "Past Lives."

• Above-the-Line Talent: Above-the-Line Talent is one of the primary cost drivers in drama productions of this scale.
• Location Filming: Location Filming & Period Production Design is one of the primary cost drivers in drama productions of this scale.
• Post-Production: Post-Production, Color Grading & Score is one of the primary cost drivers in drama productions of this scale.

How Does Past Lives's Budget Compare to Similar Films?

At $12,000,000, Past Lives sits in the low-budget range. Here is how it compares to productions with a similar budget:

• Goon (2012): Budget $12,000,000, Worldwide Gross $6,985,158
• Jobs (2013): Budget $12,000,000, Worldwide Gross $42,100,000
• All That Jazz (1979): Budget $12,000,000, Worldwide Gross $37,823,676
• 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968): Budget $12,000,000 , Gross $71,923,560
• Wolfwalkers (2020): Budget $12,000,000, Worldwide Gross $1,310,720

The median budget for wide-release drama films in the 2020s ranges from $30 to 80M for mid-budget to $150M+ for tentpoles.

Past Lives Box Office Performance

"Past Lives" earned $11,331,983 domestically and $28,126,646 worldwide at the box office. Against a production budget of $12,000,000, the film showed modest profitability in theatrical release.

A film typically needs to earn approximately twice its production budget to cover marketing and distribution costs. For "Past Lives," that break-even threshold was roughly $24,000,000. With worldwide earnings of $28,126,646, the film cleared that threshold comfortably.

• Production Budget: $12,000,000
• Worldwide Gross: $28,126,646
• Net Return: $16,126,646
• ROI: approximately 134.4%

At 134.4%, "Past Lives" earned roughly $2.34 for every $1 invested in production.

Awards and Recognition

Nominated for 2 Oscars. 83 wins & 240 nominations total

Critical Reception

Manola Darghis, in The New York Times, compared the film to French romantic cinema, complimenting its restraint in the presentation of its main themes, and writing: "The movie's modesty,its intimacy, human scale, humble locations and lack of visual oomph,is one of its strengths. The characters live in homes that are pleasant yet ordinary, the kind that you can imagine hanging out in, the kind you want to hang out in.